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FORT MYERS — Cancer-testing lab NeoGenomics launched a new line of liquid biopsy tests that the firm says can reduce the need for bone marrow biopsies through next-generation sequencing and other advanced molecular technologies.
The line of 12 tests, according to a release, use cell-free circulating DNA and RNA found in blood plasma to identify molecular abnormalities in the bone marrow without a bone marrow biopsy. Bone marrow biopsies, performed more than 600,000 times a year, are painful, uncomfortable and sometimes-complicated procedures, say officials with Fort Myers-based NeoGenomics.
“We are very pleased to launch this new line of liquid biopsy testing as we continue to seek innovative ways to improve patient care,” NeoGenomics Chairman and CEO Douglas VanOort says in the release. “These novel tests provide new tools for clinicians to better diagnose their patients and more efficiently monitor the effectiveness of therapy.”
The technology is based on the concept that hematologic cells release their DNA, RNA, and protein into circulation as the cells are immersed in blood, the firm says. The cell-free circulating DNA, RNA and protein are referred to as exosomes, microvesicles, apoptotic bodies or simply DNA- or RNA-protein complexes.
The NeoGenomics tests use proprietary methods to extract the circulating nucleic acids and analyze them. Physicians can then use the liquid biopsy tests to screen patients; monitor disease status and a patient's response to therapy; and complete testing when a bone marrow sample is inadequate or is technically difficult to obtain.
“Liquid biopsy, as an alternative to bone marrow biopsy, is not only convenient for patients and physicians, but in many situations can be more accurate than bone marrow biopsies in evaluating molecular abnormalities,” NeoGenomics Chief Medical Officer and Director of Research and Development Dr. Maher Albitar says in the statement. “A bone marrow core biopsy, by its nature, is blinded and may miss the disease in bone marrow when it is patchy. It has been demonstrated in multiple published studies that, in a proper clinical setting, cell-free DNA/RNA in plasma is relatively enriched by tumor-specific DNA and RNA.”
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